Kartchner Caverns is a great park to visit in the fall and winter months, and while the night skies aren't quite as dark as you'd get driving to the deserted boondocks, for a modern campground, they're still pretty good. As of this afternoon, plenty of good campsites are still available, and if you've never visited Kartchner Caverns, the cave tours are incredible.

We're booked into Site 13 Friday and Saturday night that weekend, and I'm planning on schlepping my Dobsonians to the event. If we get enough interest, we can make it an impromptu rally.

The New Moon will be October 9th, so we'll have a small crescent Moon setting early on the evening of the 13th, offering a short time of lunar viewing before the dark skies. October weather is typically moderate in Southern Arizona, with warm days, pleasant nights, and minimal chance of rain.